BIRD PARADISE 171 



except another section of the song. Doubtless 

 the first effort was the begetting of the secoud, 

 both cheery and bright as heart could wish. 

 Usually late in the fall the sparrows go in troops, 

 several species appearing in the same flock. This 

 fellow, however, was alone, not another bird of 

 any kind in his company. His cheery way of 

 being alone was the attractive thing in his man- 

 ner. I half suspected from his behavior that he 

 had sojourned in my orchard for the express pur- 

 pose of visiting the old place where the summer 

 breezes rocked his cradle last June. I con- 

 jectured this because he acted very much as the 

 parson does when he tarries within the precincts 

 of the old home farm. Carious how we measure 

 others by ourselves, and yet who shall say that it 

 is other than well-balanced measurement? Some 

 of my best moments are passed in those reminis- 

 cent reveries under the roof tree of the old home, 

 and I enjoy keenly seeing others as I see myself. 

 Sparrow went his way, off into the great " void 

 immense," but his visit so bright and cheery left 

 a large blessing behind him. 



There is some change taking place in the habits 

 of our birds. On a recent morning as I was doing 

 a little pleasant work in the garden I heard the 



